This invention relates to spinning or spincast style fishing reels and, more particularly, to an improved, integral spring means for the thumb button of the fishing reel.
In traditional spincast, and sometimes spinning, reel constructions, a depressible thumb button is pivotally mounted to the reel housing for displacing a spinner head through an intermediate center shaft. As exemplified in the spincast reel disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,481,554 and 4,156,510 to Hull issued respectively on Dec. 2, 1969 and May 29, 1979, a pair or opposed sidewardly extending pivots adjacent the forward portion of the thumb button are snapped into slotted pivot openings in the walls of the rear cover. One or more tabs integrally formed with the button may be included toward the rear of the button to abut a ledge on the inner surface of the rear cover to confine the rearward pivoting of the thumb button away from a depressed position. Unrestrained pivoting of the thumb button occurs between a rearmost position and simply a rearward position where the button engages the center shaft, when a biasing means is absent as is common in early reel constructions. Consequently, an undesirable rattling might occur as the thumb button pivots within the reel housing. With the reel in a substantially upright position, the weight of the thumb button urges the same into engagement with the center shaft which causes wear on the button as well as aggravating the rattling problem. Additionally, when the thumb button is depressed from adjacent its forward edge or the button is urged in a forward direction, the pivots tend to disengage from the pivot openings because resistance is provided only by the restraining force of the walls of the pivot openings on the captured pivots, again in absence of any biasing means.
In order to solve these problems, spring means have been used in operative engagement between the reel housing and the pivotable thumb button to urge the button upwardly and away from its depressed position. In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,129, issued on Nov. 15, 1983, I disclose the use of a spring means engageable with the reel housing and the pivotable thumb button to urge the button upwardly and away from its depressed position. The spring means comprise one or more elongate resilient legs which are engageable with and retained by a tab depending from the reel cover. The spring means, by maintaining constant pressure on the button, prevents rattling, yet offers minimal resistance to the depression of the button by an operator. The rearwardly directed component of the spring force on the thumb button resists dislocation of the sidewardly extending pivots from the slotted pivot openings within which the pivots are seated. This patent is incorporated herein by reference.
However, it should be noted that the use of a separate spring, as disclosed in my aforesaid patent, requires separate tooling for making the spring. For instance, the spring may be a stamped part which requires a separate tool. In addition, tooling is required for assembly of the separate spring to the thumb button and/or housing, along with all of the accompanying labor costs. Furthermore, the mounting means for such separate springs can become loosened through wear or abuse and result in rattling.
This invention is directed to an improved, integral spring means which is extremely simple and cost effective and overcomes many of the problems set forth above.